Touch the firehose of ds106, the most recent flow of content from all of the blogs syndicated into ds106. As of right now, there have been 92792 posts brought in here going back to December 2010. If you want to be part of the flow, first learn more about ds106. Then, if you are truly ready and up to the task of creating web art, sign up and start doing it.

  1. Downes

    St. Albert

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    September 1, 2021
    September 1, 2021. This is St. Albert, where I went for a brisk (24kph) ride after work today. I used up every last minute of vacation time over the summer, so I'm sitting with zero days for the first time since I started with NRC. The other big thing ...
    Read more...
  2. Downes

    Emma

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 31, 2021
    August 31, 2021. Yes, it's cat picture time again. This is Emma on the shelf behind my chair in the dining room. It was a pretty quiet work day; I filled out time sheets, attended an online conference, created a newsletter and met with colleagues from ...
    Read more...
  3. Downes

    Incident on Main Street

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 30, 2021
    August 30, 2021. Got out for a quick bike ride after work and ran across this incident on Rue Principale involving a damaged police car, a completely wrecked car, and potentially damaged bicycles and train tracks. No idea what happened, but I sent the ...
    Read more...
  4. Downes

    Family

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 29, 2021
    August 29, 2021. With my brother Bill and Shirley in town, we gathered for a get-together at Mum and Bernie's place. My brother Gord was also there with Shelli, along with Bill and Shirley's three children and Debbie, Bernie's daughter. It was really i...
    Read more...
  5. Downes

    RedBlacks

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 28, 2021
    August 28, 2021. After 666 days, the RedBlacks are back and were were there in our new (and first-time) season tickets seats. The game wasn't the best, but it was still fun. We tried the new 'Very Vegan Tacos', which were a complete fail (the problem w...
    Read more...
  6. Downes

    The Fan

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 28, 2021
    August 27, 2021. This is the fan on the ceiling of my bedroom. We don't really need a fan, since the house is air conditioned, but nonetheless, it is there. Today was an indoor day, which felt weird, but allowed my various bites, cuts and bruises to he...
    Read more...
  7. Downes

    Home Via Kingston

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 27, 2021
    August 26, 2021. This is the Via Rail trail pulling into the Belleville station. I have good things to say about Via today. The plan was to take the train to Kingston, pick up the car, return to Belleville to pick up the bike, then drive home. Except I...
    Read more...
  8. Downes

    Trail of Two Lakes

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 25, 2021
    August 25, 2021. View along the trail from Moira Lake to Belleville. I cycled most of it today, 44 km, missing only the top couple of kilometres toward Madoc. It was good to start but got rougher the further south I went. But it has its good spots, lik...
    Read more...
  9. Downes

    Honkers

    by
    | 2021365, bikepacking, Syndicated
    August 25, 2021
    August 24, 2021. In the distance you can see a number of large white birds (geese? swans?) enjoying the lake and honking up a storm back and forth with some other unseen flock. The trail was rough again today, not as bad as yesterday but still a challe...
    Read more...
  10. Downes

    Callaghan’s Rapids

    by
    | 2021365, bikep, bikepacking, Syndicated
    August 24, 2021
    August 23, 2021. This is the view of Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area from the trail. It was just a slight detour on today's 50 km ride to Marmora. The river here flows over a large flat rock surface, so it's shallow enough to wade easily. In one p...
    Read more...
  11. Downes

    Ranney Gorge

    by
    | 2021365, bikepacking, Syndicated
    August 23, 2021
    August 22, 2021. Here I am with my bike on the suspension bridge over Ranney Gorge over the Trent River in Campbellford. Today I 'took a zero', meaning that I didn't cover any kilometers. But I still did some shopping and explored the town a bit. Tomor...
    Read more...
  12. Downes

    Campbellford

    by
    | 2021365, bikepacking, Syndicated
    August 22, 2021
    August 21, 2021. This is the farmers market at Campbellford, where I had a blueberry pie and blackberry refresher. Today was a very short cycling day - 12 km - as I went from the park to the motel to recharge both batteries and myself. I actually treat...
    Read more...
  13. Downes

    Drumlin

    by
    | 2021365, bikepacking, drumlin, Syndicated
    August 21, 2021
    August 21, 2021. This is the scene at sunset from on top of a drumlin, a large hill created by glaciation. The sun was a brilliant ruby red (the picture doesn't do it justice) because of the smoke in the air from the many forest fires. Today was anothe...
    Read more...
  14. Downes

    Prince Edward County

    by
    | 2021365, bikepacking, Syndicated
    August 20, 2021
    August 19, 2021. This is a scene from somewhere in the middle of Prince Edward County, which is almost a large island in Lake Ontario. Around the edges it can be pretty touristy (though in places that's not the case). In the interior is is very rural. ...
    Read more...
  15. Downes

    Bay of Quinte

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 19, 2021
    August 18, 2021. This is the Bay of Quinte, a long narrow inlet that separates Prince Edward County from the mainland. I cycled here - about 60 km - along the Cataraqui Trail and then through Napanee and over the very large bridge. I had a rough night ...
    Read more...
  16. Downes

    Camden Lake

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 18, 2021
    August 17, 2021. This is Camden Lake, a provincial wildlife park, where I spent the night. I began the day by driving to Kingston, getting my bike set up (kudos to Frontinac Cycle for their help), then biking about 50 km back to the Cataraqui Trail and...
    Read more...
  17. Downes

    Election Signs

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 16, 2021
    August 16, 2021. This is a sign I put up today. I saved a bunch of signs from the last election and so got them out today for the new election. I didn't think we needed this election now, but I do love elections. We also went to the city for shopping a...
    Read more...
  18. Downes

    The Cable

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 15, 2021
    August 15, 2021. The missing cable has been found! It was located at my Day 2 campsite. Today we drove out to the site and picked it up. So now I'm preparing to get back out on the trail, picking up where I left off, but with a less ambitious route. So...
    Read more...
  19. Downes

    Westport

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 15, 2021
    August 14, 2021. This is a view of Upper Rideau Lake from westport, a small community on the road between Kingston and Ottawa. We spent a full day driving to Kingston and back to retrieve my bicycle, because Via Rail hates bicycles, and stopped at West...
    Read more...
  20. Downes

    Hydrogen Peroxide

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 14, 2021
    August 13, 2021. The view from my train window felt like the antithesis of my previous week. It basically took all day to travel from Kingston back to Casselman by train. Kingston isn't that far from Ottawa, but viewed differently, it's quite far. http...
    Read more...
  21. Downes

    Work From Home?

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 12, 2021
    August 12, 2021. This spot, about 15 km out of Kingston, is where I sat down for half an hour and had a videoconference with a colleague in England. It was my last day on the trail for now, with the ride ending after 40 km at a hotel near the train sta...
    Read more...
  22. Downes

    Beavers

    by
    | 2021365, beaver, bikepacking, Syndicated
    August 12, 2021
    August 10, 2021. My camp site was supposed to be beside a beaver pond. I found the Beavers, but the camp was itself inaccessible. So I found a spot by the trail across from the pond and the Beavers and I spent a pleasant evening together, joined later ...
    Read more...
  23. Downes

    Newboro

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 11, 2021
    August 10, 2012. This was the scene from my motel room in Newboro. But my trip is being cut short... I lost the recharging cable for my CPAP battery. So I'll take a couple days getting into Kingston and then take the train home. Heat was brutal again t...
    Read more...
  24. Downes

    Murphy’s Point Provincial Park

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 10, 2021
    August 9, 2021. After a 70 km slog on 30 degree heat I arrived exhausted late afternoon. The park itself is a gem, the campsites large and spread out. I had The. Best. Shower. Ever. Lots of bugbites. I won't lie: this is hard. https://flic.kr/p/2mgfVHr
    Read more...
  25. Downes

    Supper

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 9, 2021
    August 8, 2021. This is my supper for today, purchased at the Kemptville farmer's market, which I found by accident after making a detour to get a new sleeping pad. As a result, today was a 71 km day (on a fully loaded gravel bike). Rain and thunder la...
    Read more...
  26. Downes

    Supper

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 9, 2021
    August 8, 2021. This was the view as I ate supper for today, purchased at the Kemptville farmer's market, which I found by accident after making a detour to get a new sleeping pad. As a result, today was a 71 km day (on a fully loaded gravel bike). Rai...
    Read more...
  27. Downes

    Started

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 7, 2021
    August 7, 2021. I left today on my bike packing challenge. This is my bike fully loaded 10km in (1 percent complete!). I'm at a campground near Manotick, forgot a few things, but am otherwise off to a good start https://flic.kr/p/2mfUxEf
    Read more...
  28. Downes

    Cat and AirMini

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 5, 2021
    August 4, 2021. I have a long bikepacking trip planned and the AirMini is an essential part of the planning, as I need a CPAP at night. So a few weeks ago I ordered an AirMini and a couple of batteries. This morning it still hadn't arrived and looked l...
    Read more...
  29. Downes

    Overflowing

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 5, 2021
    August 3, 2021. Costco day today. The large new @Costco on Olgilvie Road has 750 parking spots but nowhere near that number of spaces for shopping carts. Combine that with understaffing and you get random traffic barriers making parking lot navigation,...
    Read more...
  30. Downes

    Dundela

    by
    | 2021365, Syndicated
    August 4, 2021
    August 2, 2021. This McIntosh apple tree might not be the very first one, but it's a direct descendant, being only a few feet from where the original McIntosh apple tree stood in Dundela, Ontario. The apple will be bright red and green by the fall. I s...
    Read more...
‹123456789›

Get Into ds106

ds106 Current Sections

ds106 in[SPIRE]